Aries Shion

Age

Gender

Date of birth

Nationality

Affiliation

Class

Rank

Cloth

Training

Master(s)

Apprentice(s)

Attacks

Crystal Wall Stardust Revolution

Height

185cm

Weight

77kg

Blood type

A

Status

Deceased at age 261

Voiced by

Hideyuki Tanaka, Nobuo Tobita (ND), Shin-ichiro Miki (LC)

Aries Shion is a character from the anime/manga series Saint Seiya. In the classic series, Shion is the original Grand Pope of the Sanctuary, as well as one of the remaining survivors of the Holy War from the 1700's. He also served as the master of Aries Mu, who would eventually become the successor to the Gold Cloth of Aries slightly prior to his death. Later Shion is one of the resurrected Saints in Saint Seiya Hades Chapter.

Contents

Promoted to the Gold Saint of Aries at the beginning stages of the Holy War against Hades, Shion caught up with his partner Libra Dōko (ND), who had also just became the Gold Saint of Libra, and the two men immediately invaded the Elysium Fields on Earth. They were unable to reach very far before being interrupted by various guards and spectres, including Griffon Veemer, one of the three Judges of the Underworld. The Saint of Pegasus, Pegasus Tenma (ND), also found his way to the fields while searching for his friend, Alone (ND) - the current reincarnation of Hades. A short battle between the Saints and Spectres occurred, with the former overwhelmed due to the crippling barrier surrounding Hades Castle on Elysium.

Eventually, Suikyō, the former Saint of Crateris, made his presence known on the battleground. An old acquaintance of both Shion and Dohko, he had appeared under the mantle of the Spectre of Garuda. The three friends shared a small exchange before the spectres were recalled into Hades Castle. Shion, Dohko, and Tenma, each still powerless from the effect of the barrier, were left to be killed by the guards. Fortunately, they were saved when Tenma's horse, apparently unaffected by the barrier, comically knocked the guards away. The saints then quickly relocated to a safer location.

Tenma's horse had brought the Silver Cloth of Crateris with it. The armor, in the shape of the holy chalice of which Athena drank, contained sacred water which reflect the future of whomever looked into it. Upon viewing down at his own image, Shion saw his face covered with the Pope's headdress.

Some time later, the three saints were confronted by two of their gold peers, Taurus Ox and Capricorn Izō. Shion, Dohko, and Seiya were briefly punished for acting on their own during a most important time where unity amongst the Saints were not only necessary, but a strategic advantage.

Later on, Shion returned to his post at the Aries Temple, where he would run into Andromeda Shun ( ND ), who had traveled to the 1700's with Athena by the might of the deity Chronos. Somewhere along the way, Shun had become separated from Athena, and was attempting to relocate her when he ran to the Aries Temple. Like most of Sanctuary, however, the gold saint did not recognize the Andromeda, and forbid him from passing through. The bronze saint eventually slipped past when Suikyo made his reappearance and engaged in battle with Shion.
Shun along with Tenma go to the second house of Taurus, while Shion confronts and kills 5 specter, then, fights with Suikyo, that in the past had been his training partner.

Aries Shion is a close friend of Gold Saint Libra Dohko, and the only other survivor of the previous generation of Saints together with Dohko.

Shion was a very smart and strong man, loyal to his beliefs and above all, to Athena. He respected all of his fellow Saints and his master, who saved his life when he was a child. He is also very protective of lower ranking saints.

Background

Before becoming a Saint, he was a student of Hakurei. He lived and trained in Jiamir where he learned how to repair Cloths. Shion possessed a unique ability to be able to see the previous lives of Saints when in contact of wounded Cloths.
One day while he was repairing the cloths, he encountered a mysterious man who offers him the chance to see the story of all humans, past, present and future. When Shion was about to accept, the Cloths started to move, and the man noticed that even when Shion was spying on them, they were asking him to stay. However, Shion's desire to go made him start destroying the Cloths... until he found his master's Altar Silver Cloth. The story and feelings emanating from it were warm and melancholic. Shion asks the man for more time to consider his offer. The man then tells him that one of humanity's greatest sins was hesitation, and slashes him with a black whip, wounding him deeply. Shortly thereafter, the man reveals himself to be Balron Lune, the Celestial Excellence Star, and leaves.
About to die, the Cloths protected Shion until his master found him. Hakurei makes another wound in his arm and passes blood from his body to Shion's, allowing the boy to live again.

Shion is first introduced when returning to Sanctuary from Jiamir. He is also the one who kills Worm Raimi when the Spectres infiltrated Sanctuary to attack Sasha. He saves Tenma and Athena from Raimi's attack and defeats him with little effort.

Mission in Italy

Two years later, Shion and Dohko are forced to kill three Silver Saints brought back to life by Hades. Feeling guilty, he intents to redeem himself by asking to be sent on a mission to Italy with Libra Dohko, Pegasus Tenma, Unicorn Yato and other Silver Saints. When they arrive in Italy, the hometown of Tenma was destroyed and burning to the ground. They encounter Hades, who had taken over the body of Tenma's best friend Alone. Hades attacks the Saints and kills everyone but Shion, Dohko and Yato. However, Yato was burried in rubble so Shion and Dohko return to Sanctuary alone and report back to Athena of the events.

In Sanctuary

Later Shion went to the village outside of Sanctuary, stopping protecting a girl from Griffin Minos. Shion gets bound by Minos' "Cosmic Marrionettion" but is cut off with the return of a wounded Pisces Albafica. He then witnesses the last battle between Pisces Alfabica and Griffin Minos. After Alfabica's death, Minos was about to use the last of his power to destroy the village, but his attack was stopped by Shion's "Crystal Wall". He leaves with Alfabica's body back to the Sanctuary, on his way he encounters a messenger from Jiamir who asks to be taken to the Pope's Chamber. There they learn that Hades can revive his specters, but also that Pegasus would be coming back to life.

Later Shion felt one prescence coming in the Pope's chamber and hurried there, and crossing the house of Cancer he saw Manigoldo, who gave him the Pope's Helment and told him to give it to his master Harukei from behalf of his brother Sage, the Pope and then vanished, leaving only the Cancer Gold Cloth. Shion arrives to the Pope's Chamber after hearing the battle plans of attacking hades castle and found his master in the Pope's Chamber readying for battle and asks him if he is going somewhere else, then they start an argument and when Shion leaves his master has already leaved.

Hades Castle

Shion appears later along with Yuzuriha defeated by the God Hypnos inside Hades castle when their master was about to face the god of Sleep. Hakurei then starts his fight with the god and after a few moments and attacks from the God, Hakurei uses the Infernal waves to bring back the souls of his commarades from the previous war and then releases his Ultimate technique "Praesepe Celestial Waves", the technique joinded all the souls into one gigant energy sphere; Hakurei launched the attack at Hypnos, but he stopped with his hands, Hakurei then used his own soul to power the attack and finally defeat the God, Hypnos then tried to take over the body of Hakurei, but was sealed inside the chest that he put in himself. Shion watched his master go to the center of the barrier and when he was about to destroy the seal of the barrier, Hades appeared and killed Hakurei. Shion enraged attacked Hades but was easily stopped by the God and returned to him, then he tried to acomplish waht his master died trying, to detroy the barrier with the sword with Athena's blood, but Hades destroyed it and attacked Shion once again when Hades was about to finish them off Dohko and Tenma arrived and stop the attack. Tenma attacked Hades but once again hades reflected the attack to Tenma, then showed them how he tricked Athena's army and killed almost all of them. Tenma enraged attack Hades but he's easily defeated, but his rage promts him to attack again, this time Hades dons his sword and when was about to strike down Tenma, Dohko blocked the attack with his shield, wich was split in half due to the attack. Dohko and Tenma attacked together but the attack was easily countered by Hades own attack wich defeated all saints at once. Dohko then stood up and took off the upper part of his cloth and started burning his cosmos, then he attacked Hades, wich gave Shion the chance to leave Hades Castle with Tenma and Yuzuriha. Shion is then see in the Pope's chamber with Sisyphos and learns from Crow that Italy has been raised into the sky and has become Hades new Fortress and is commanded that they will now attack The Lost Canvas by Athena.

In the Lost Canvas

Later he has been seen repairing the Saint's Cloths at Sanctuary, and Sisyphos went to the place where he was and leave together to Jamin. Shion witness the fight between Sisyphos and Aiacos and together with Sisyphos and Regulus he opened the gate to the Lost Canvas with Athena Exclamation, the last attack of Sisyphos before he died. There he survived the voyage through the clouds which turned all those who turned back into stone and defeated Acheron Charon shortly after with ease after taking them to the other side of the Sea of Clouds. After getting to the other side they entered in the First Demon Temple: Mercury (第1魔宮水星,Dai ichi Makyū Mākyurī?), along with Athena, Regulus and Tenma, which they passed through freely, arriving then to the Second Demon Temple: Venus (第2魔宮金星,Dai ni Makyū Vīnasu?). Shion then meets the guardian of the Temple, Balron Lune, and challenges him. After a ferocious battle that made Shion confront his past sins and encounter the Saints of the past in the eternal torment of Cocytus, the Aries Gold Saint managed to use a technique that he learned empirically from his master, the Praesepe Celestial Wave (積尸気転霊波,Sekishiki Tenryōha?), thus obliterating René. The Specter then realized that Shion was able to be the link between the past and future generation, as the future Pope of Sanctuary. Afterwards, Shion proceeded to rejoin his comrades.

The Last Battle

Shion as Pope

Shion arrives after Regulus death in the battle against Rhadamanthys and proceedes to join Dohko when Tenma and Athena were fighting Hades. After a fierce battle, Shion and Dohko attack Hades, now fully awoken, Shion summons the other 10 Gold Cloths to attack Hades with the Golden Light, but it was not enough. After the spirits of the other Gold Saints returned they finally expelled Hades from Alone's body, but Shion collapsed from exhaustion and he and Dohko are transported back to Earth in the Sanctuary by Athena and is decreed as the next Pope to prepare for the next Holy War.

Upon becoming the Grand Pope, Shion could no longer perform the duties of the Aries Saint. Thus, he began to train an apprentice to succeed the Cloth. In the 20th century, Shion found that successor in Mu, an extraordinary young man of the same race as Shion with a natural talent for Cloth reparation. Mu not only became the new Gold Saint of Aries, but he did so with all of Shion's abilities under his belt.

After Athena had once again reincarnated as a human infant after more than two centuries, Shion began preparations for the inevitable war. He understood that, due to old age, his own time would soon be up, and therefore needed to choose a successor for his seat. With the exception of Sagittarius Aiolos and Gemini Saga, all of the Gold Saints were too young and inexperienced to take up the responsibilities. After a lengthy time of consideration, Shion eventually settled on the Gold Saint of Sagittarius. While Aiolos was not as powerful as Saga, Shion felt confident in his choice because he knew of Aiolos' undying loyalty to Athena and undeniable devotion to virtue.

Unfortunately, Shion was confronted by Saga in regards to his decision shortly after the announcement. It seems Saga felt discontent at Shion's choice, and demanded an explanation for it. Shion revealed that, while he acknowledged that Saga had a heavenly reputation and was the more powerful of the two, he could not help but sense something terrifyingly dark within the Gemini Saint. It is at this point that Saga confirmed Shion's suspicions, and assaulted the weary Pope with a deathblow.

Hades Arc

In the Underworld, the realm of the dead, it was announced that Hades would attack the Sanctuary and unleash the Greatest Eclipse on Earth. This left the dead Saints in a predicament, being unable to do anything, but opportunity rose when Hades told them that, if they killed Athena, they would live again.

Not even death could keep Shion from aiding Athena in her Holy War against Hades. Years after his assassination, he returned from death to help Athena and the current Saints with a way to get into the realm of the Dead. Originally, it was assumed that Shion, along with other deceased Saints such as Saga, Shura, Camus, Deathmask, and Aphrodite, had sold their souls to Hades in exchange of resurrection and returned to Sanctuary to kill Athena. It turned out that this was a grand scheme by the former Pope and the dead Saints in order to get a message to Athena—that she must die and awaken her 8th sense if she hoped to successfully defeat Hades within his domain.

After the message had been delivered, Shion met with the Bronze Saints Seiya, Shiryū, Hyōga, and Shun to tell them what had really happened between the Gold Saints and Athena. Perhaps as a nod to his apprentice's talents for armor reparation, Shion instantly restored all four Saints' individual Cloths using the blood of Athena. Finally, in his last act as the Grand Pope, Shion commanded the young Bronze Saints to invade the realm of the dead — they must not stop until every Specter had been killed, and Hades himself was on his knees.

In the manga, it is at this point that Shion's restored body gave way, and the former Aries perished into dust. In the anime adaptation the event is depicted in the same way, although Shion lasted until near sunrise. Prior to disappearing for good, Shion reunited with his old friend Dohko to share past times for a brief moment.

Superhuman Strength: As a Gold Saint Shion had the strenght to destroy a gigantic boulder with a single finger and cause immense damage with one hit.

Cosmos Mastery: As a former Gold Saint, Shion has fully mastered the 7th sense, which gave him great power and the ability to move at the speed of light. Shion is among the most powerful of Athena's Gold Saints.

Inmense Psychic Power: Shion is naturally gifted with great psychic powers that allow him to have control over telekinesis, telepathy and even teleportation.

Superhuman Strength: As a Gold Saint Shion had the strenght to destroy a gigant boulder with a single finger and cause inmence damage with one hit.

Cosmos Mastery: As a former Gold Saint, Shion has fully mastered the 7th sense, what gave him great power and the ability to move at the speed of light. Shion is among the most powerful of Athena's Gold Saints.

Inmense Psychic Power: Shion is naturally gifted with great psychic powers that allow him to have control over telekinesis, telepathy and even teleportation.

He is also versed in the ways of Cloth restoration.

Stardust Revolution

Stardust Revolution: Stardust technique that uses as raw material to create a shower of stars that is fired at the opponent. In the anime The Lost Canvas, the stardust was also used to form, beyond the stars, a huge stream of energy.

Crystal Wall

Crystal Wall: The technique creates a barrier that acts as a strong defense. The staying power of Crystal Wall is hard to contain a Gigantic sucifiente Feathers Flap for Griffin Minos. Shion demonstrates the ability to manipulate the stroke and make it take several formats.

Praesepe Celestial Wave: A technique that fuses all souls around the user into one gigant energy shpere, capable of defeating a God. Shion learned this technique empirically from his master and used it agains Lune.

The identity of the Pope before Gemini Saga was not revealed until he appeared in the Hades Chapter manga. Before that he was simply known as the Pope, or the One who fought with Roshi/Dohko in the Previous Holy War. His constellation and his name were kept a secret until the Hades Chapter.

The first time Pope Shion's constellation was acknowledgeed was in 1991, Saint Paradise, card 36, "Aries Pope." Again, his name and face was kept secret.

In the short novel, "Saga! Prelude of Desire", Shion has a younger silver saint brother named Ares. This character has no relation to the God of War, nor is he the same Ares that would become Pope during the classic anime, or at least, not physically. In the short novel, Ares is secretly killed by Saga after he had accidentally discovered Saga's evil personality. In the classic anime, it was announced that the Grand Pope's "younger brother" had succeeded him, since Saga had met both Shion and Ares, it can be inferred that he was masquerading as Shion's younger brother, and not the God of War himself. In the manga, Saga continued to use the identity of Shion up until Seiya invaded the Pope's throne room.

In the anime, the character of Shion as the Pope was badly distorted. Masami Kurumada, author of the manga, always disagreed with the changes introduced in the anime, until the anime series was interrupted before the Hades arc.

In the first anime episode, the Pope who gives the Pegasus Cloth is Shion, but there is a lot of confusion about all this because the voice actor of the Pope in that episode was the narrator, who also played Aiolia later (in the manga, that Pope was Gemini Saga already). According to official info, in Anime Special 1, where they point out the differences between the anime vs. manga, the Pope in episode 1 is the dead Pope of the manga. He hadn't been killed by Ares (Saga) yet.

In the USA it was not until 2002 that the name "Shion" was mentioned, in the Digest episode that was aired before episode 1 of Hades Sanctuary OVA (in Japan, Europe and South America it was known already from the manga since about 10 years).

In this Digest episode, it finally confirms for the anime, the dead body on Star Hill discovered by Marin is Ares, Shion's little brother. This is another difference from the manga where, the dead body on Star Hill is Shion. In this Digest episode, it also mentions the Pope (Shion) was killed by Saga when Galaxian Wars was being held. The actual location of Shion's corpse is unknown.